Split tube cord and bead puzzle

ABSTRACT

The puzzle includes a cord with a spiral weave, a plurality of beads of different colors, one of said beads attached to each end of the cord, at least one additional bead threaded with a sliding fit on the cord, and an elongated tube element with a longitudinal split narrower than the cord diameter. The puzzle resides in the difficulty encountered in placing the cord within the split tube or removing it therefrom.

O United States Patent 1 [111 3,744,798 Schmid July 10, 1973 SPLIT TUBECORD AND BEAD PUZZLE Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle [76] Inventor.Henry S. Schmld, 7800 W. Vienna Avenue, Milwaukee, Wis. 53222Attorney-Gerald welch [22] Filed: Feb. 7, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl.No.2 224,126

The puzzle includes a cord with a spiral weave, a plurality of beads ofdifferent colors, one of said beads at- [52] US. Cl. 273/159 tached toeach end of the cord, at least one additional [51] ll!!- Cl. A63 9/08bead threaded with a sliding i on the cord and an [58] Field Of Search273/159; 24/115 H, elongated tube element with a longitudinal Split24/129 129 B rower than the cord diameter. The puzzle resides in the 1Refer es Cited difficulty encountered in placing the cord within theFOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 6/1957 Denmark 24/115 H split tube orremoving it therefrom.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 SPLIT TUBE CORD AND BEAD PUZZLE BRIEFSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The puzzle includes an elongate split tube witha short red sleeve also split on one end of the tube and a similar shortblue split sleeve on the opposite end of said tube. A cord with a spiralweave and of greater diameter than the split in the tube has a blue beadaffixed to one end and a red bead affixed to the other end.

A white bead is threaded freely on the cord which is a little more thanthree times as long as the split tube.

When the puzzle is presented to a person unacquainted with the secret,he is given the cord and beads as a separate assembly and is asked toinsert the cord into the tube. It seems impossible to tuck the cord intothe split element as the diameter of the former is larger. After aperiod of experimentation, if he is lucky, he finds that he must dependon the spiral weave to work the cord into the tube by pulling it againstthe split portion at one end of the tube and toward the opposite end ofsaid tube whereby the spiral weave will catch in the split and draw thecord within the tube. The cord may be manipulated to change the sequenceof the colors as to the bead arrangement with or without the coloredsleeves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thesplit tube element.

FIG. 2 is an end view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view of the assembled cord and beads.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cord on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A split tube has the split 11, and at one end hasthe short red sleeve 12 snugly embracing sald end and a short blue alsosplit sleeve 13 embracing the opposite end of the tube. The splits inthe sleeves register with the split in the tube. The cord 14 slidesfreely within the tube 10, once it has been inserted, and has a spiralweave as shown. As shown a red ball 15, actually a diametrically boredhead is fixed to one end 16 of the cord 14, and a white bead 17 isslidable on the cord 14 next to the blue sleeve 13. Thus the red bead15, the white bead l7 and the blue sleeve 13 form the sequence red,white and blue, and other sequences may be arrived at by manipulation ofthe cord.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent of the U.S.,

l. A puzzle including an elongate substantially rigid split tube, aspiral weave cord having a diameter greater than the spread of the splitin said tube, and varied colored beads having a diameter greater thanthe diameter of the tube fixed on each end of said cord, and at leastone bead freely slidable on the cord.

2. A split tube as in claim 1, a short split sleeve of one colorembracing one end of said tube, and a short split sleeve of anothercolor embracing the opposite end of said tube, the split openings of thesleeves being in registry with the split of the tube.

3. A puzzle as in claim 1, and a white bead freely slidable on saidcord.

4. A split tube as in claim 1, a portion of the end of said tube markedwith one color, and a portion of the opposite end of said tube markedwith another color.

1. A puzzle including an elongate substantially rigid split tube, aspiral weave cord having a diameter greater than the spread of the splitin said tube, and varied colored beads having a diameter greater thanthe diameter of the tube fixed on each end of said cord, and at leastone bead freely slidable on the cord.
 2. A split tube as in claim 1, ashort split sleeve of one color embracing one end of said tube, and ashort split sleeve of another color embracing the opposite end of saidtube, the split openings of the sleeves being in registry with the splitof the tube.
 3. A puzzle as in claim 1, and a white bead freely slidableon said cord.
 4. A split tube as in claim 1, a portion of the end ofsaid tube marked with one color, and a portion of the opposite end ofsaid tube marked with another color.